Holy ,Why?

Holy, Why?

1 Peter 1:15, 16 NIV

Thesis - Fellowship with God, assurance of salvation, our well being and effective service all require holiness.

Sanctification Objective - To cause people to be holy.

            This morning I want to conduct a brief survey to determine which of the WH questions you’ve heard the most over the course of your life.  Please raise your hand when I call out the question you’ve heard most.  Who?  What?  When?  Where?  Why?  How?

            The survey confirms my experience.  The winner of the title “Most Frequently Used WH Question” is why?         

            When I was a child my father heard why the most?  His frequent answer to this relentless question was, “Because I said so!”  Can you relate?

            My earthly father’s answer reminds me of God’s answer to holy, why?  That answer is found in 1 Peter 1:15, 16.  (Read 1 Peter 1:15, 16.)  We could paraphrase God’s answer, “Because I said so.”  And just as that was enough of an answer from our earthly fathers it should be more than enough of an answer from our Heavenly Father.  However, in His Word, the Father gives us some practical reasons why we should be holy.  I’m going to share four of them with you.  We should be holy because

I.  Holiness is necessary for fellowship with God.

A.  “Continually restate to yourself what the purpose of your life is.  The destined end of an individual is not happiness, not health but holiness.  The one thing that matters most is whether a person will accept the God who makes him holy.  At all costs one must be rightly related to God ... God has one destined end for humans: holiness.  He is not an eternal ‘blessing machine’ for people.  He did not come to save people out of pity.  He came to save people because He had created them to be holy.”  -Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest (pages 403-404) 

B.  “Because God is holy, He requires that we be holy.  Many Christians have what we might call a ‘cultural holiness.’  They adapt to the character and behavior pattern of Christians around them.  As the Christian culture around them is more or less holy, so these Christians are more or less holy.  But God has not called us to be like those around us.  He has called us to be like Himself.  Holiness is nothing less than conformity to the character of God.”  -Jerry Bridges, The Pursuit of Holiness (pages 25-26)

            C.  Psalm 15

D.  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.  1 John 1:7

            We should also be holy because

II.  Holiness is necessary for our assurance of salvation.

            A.  “The only safe evidence that we are in Christ is a holy life.”  -Bridges

            B.  Matthew 7:21-23

C.  Because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.  Romans 8:14

            D.  1 John 1:5-7; 2:3-6

            Next, we should be holy because

III.  Holiness is essential to our own well being.                     

            A.  Psalm 32:3-5

B.  The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace.  Romans 8:6

C.  That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. 1 Corinthians 11:30   

            D.  Hebrews 12:4-6

E.  “Attending services ‘extends the life span about as much as moderate exercise or not smoking,’ …” (Conclusion of Marc Musick and James House in a study conducted by the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and reported in USA Today, August 9, 1999)

            F.  Man was created holy because holiness is best for him.

            Finally, we should be holy because

IV.  Holiness is necessary for effective service.

            A.  “Holiness and usefulness are linked together.”  -Bridges

1.  But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.  Acts 1:8

2.  If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.  2 Timothy 2:21

B.  “Against [determinism] is the biblical belief that life is not a goblet to be drained, but a measure to be filled--that we are not here in this world to see how much we can get out of it for ourselves alone, but to make a contribution and to leave humanity at least a little better for the fact that we have lived.  The chief end of man is not to be happy, but to deserve happiness.”  -W. T. Purkiser

            What is your chief end?  If it’s not to be holy I invite you to come and pray until it is!

Portsmouth, RI – 08/08/99

Jackson, MS – 09/03/03

Wyoming, PA – 04/27/08